Mooney Falls
by Gentlewolf
Summary: A FAX fic, taking place after the 5th book. The flock is in Arizona helping Dr. Martinez, who leaves for a house call. Max is left alone. Fang comes back for her to take her someplace special, just the two of them. Part 3 to come soon.
1. Part 1

**Mooney Falls:**

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**Author Note:** This fic contains some spoilers from, **Max: A Maximum Ride Novel,** Read at your own risk. This is my first **Maximum Ride **fanfic.

Oh my goodness, I read the first book back when it first came out in 2005, and then read the second book in 2006. I only reciently discovered that there were 3 more books written, when I saw that they turned the series into a Manga. ^_^ I just finished reading the 5th book this week and can't wait for the next! Until then, though, I needed some FAX! Yeah!! Fang & Max Forever!

**Disclaimer:** **Maximum Ride** belongs to _James Patterson_. I do not claim any rights to any of these characters or to the original story.

* * *

"I'm really sorry about this, Max. Could you please take care of the kitchen for me?" My mother asked as she got into her car. I was standing by the door of her house, watching. My mom, being a veterinarian, had just received a call from a client. It was Sunday morning and the animal hospital was closed, but the client's dog was having her puppies, and there seemed to be complications. Mom was on her way to the client's house now.

"Are you sure that you should be going, Mom?" I asked out of concern. For those of you who may not be up and up on the latest happenings of yours feathery and the flock, let me quickly explain.

You see, last month, my mother was kidnapped by Mr. Chu, a man who wanted mom to disband the CSM, the Coalition to Stop the Madness. Of course, I came to the rescue, with the flock, the U.S. Navy, and the Krelp. Don't ask about the Krelp. Trust me; you really don't want to know. My skin crawls just thinking about them. They were only the most grotesque, mutated by radiation, sea life that you'll ever see. Yet, they did help me and Angel to rescue my Mom.

Mom was in really bad shape when we found her. In fact, she's only been out of the hospital for a week. I didn't think it was a good idea for her to be going to work already. The doctors had instructed us to make sure she got plenty of rest and that she ate and drank plenty of fluids. If you haven't guessed, by now, the flock and I are at my mom's home in Arizona, specifically to carry out the doctor's orders.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," my mother answered me. She was now sitting in the driver's seat, looking out the open car window at me. "I won't over do it," she promised. "I'll only be delivering puppies," she added, as if it was the easiest job in the world to be a midwife for a dog. Well, maybe it was, compared to being a midwife for a human, but I really wouldn't know. I was born in a test tube, remember. Yep, that's me; the mutant bird kid, super Max, 98% human 2% bird.

I watched as mom backed out of the driveway and waved as she drove off; so much for spending the day together. The rest of the flock had made plans for the day, trying to give me some alone time to spend with my mom. Despite mom's continued efforts to talk all of us into living with her and Ella, my half sister, I didn't want to take the chance of putting them in danger. I was planning to give the orders for an up and out in the next couple of days; as soon as I was convinced that mom would be ok.

I went back inside and made my way to the kitchen. Standing in the doorway, I gaped in horror; it was a mess in here. Dishes from breakfast were piled in the sink, the stove top needed to be cleaned, the table needed to be washed, and the garbage needed to be taken out. I made a mental note to lecture the flock about picking up after themselves. We all know that I'm not the best housekeeper in the world. When it comes to fighting and survival, I was set and ready to go, but I really hated doing housework.

Perhaps you're wondering where Ella is? "Since I get mom to myself all the time, I'm going out with everyone so that you can spend more time with her," she announced this morning at breakfast, referring to going out with the flock. She was out there flying somewhere with my flock while I was stuck inside, cleaning. How is she flying, you ask? Oh, she had talked Iggy into carrying her; imagine that.

I retrieved the I-pod that mom had bought for me and the flock, and returned to the kitchen. If I had to be stuck cleaning, I would have to do it with some tunes to listen to. At least, that way, it seemed to take less time. Recently, I discovered that I really liked the band, Nickleback. I adjusted my I-pod to play their latest CD, Dark Horse, and set to work.

While I cleaned, I jammed to the music. Thankfully, no one else was home, because I was acting pretty silly; wiggling my hips, dancing, head bopping, using a fork as a microphone while I sang. Hey, I was having fun and cutting lose. Not something that I do that often, as I'm sure you know, and you know what? I was done in no time.

As I turned on the dishwasher I was caught by surprise by a pair of arms that snaked around my waist. Immediately I dropped to the floor, out of their grasp, and rolled backwards, through a pair of legs, and jumped to my feet ready for battle. My heart pounded adrenaline through my body and my mind flooded with thoughts about who might be coming after us now.

In front of me, I watched as Fang turned to face me, as if in slow motion. He was smirking and as I yelled out at him and moved to slap his arm for alarming me, he caught my hand effortlessly and pulled me against him. "Darnit! FANG! You of all people should know NOT to sneak up on me like that!" I yelled at him and pounded my free fist against his chest as a way to assert my dominance as the flock leader.

Fang simply watched my show with amusement, not even flinching when my hit landed. "Nice moves," he chuckled and removed my earphones. I could feel the heat rise into my cheeks. How long had he been watching me make a fool out of myself? I slapped at his arm with my free hand, only to have it caught as well. Now he held both of my hands, and he leaned in to press a soft kiss against my lips. In an instant, I felt my anger melt away. It seemed like forever since he last kissed me. We had barely had any time to spend alone, together, since we brought my mom home. "We alone?" he asked against my lips. I could only nod and lean closer to him, searching for another kiss. However, he released one of my hands and scooped up under my legs to carry me out of the kitchen and towards the front door. "Good," was all that he said.

"FANG?! Put me down!" I demanded as he made his way out into the yard.

"Stop kicking," he complained, not letting me go, before he took off in a run across the yard.

My eyes went wide when I realized what he was about to do. "FANG!! NO!" I yelled. "For crying out loud, I can fly on my own!" I said when he jumped up into the air and snapped his wings open. I watched in awe of his power as his wings came down and rose seemingly without effort. My heart fluttered and I was rendered speechless. Why was he carrying me? Didn't he know that I would follow him anywhere? All he had to do was ask. "A…aren't I heavy?" I managed to ask after a few moments in silence. We had climbed high into the air and he was now soaring on an updraft. "I thought that you said I was heavy," I reminded him.

"When did I say that?" Fang asked and looked at me with those dark eyes of his.

"Uh…You know, back, oh about a year ago, now; when you asked if I had been eating rocks." I pointed out. He merely shrugged and gave me a smirk. "Uhh…. Seriously, I can fly, you know. There's no point of this," I complained again and kicked my legs over his arm.

Fang let me slide out of his arms and, after free falling for a few feet; I snapped my wings open to catch the wind. In no time I was soaring, feeling the wind against my face and blowing my hair back. Fang lowered himself carefully above me, with our wings moving in sync. "That's funny, Ella seemed to find it really romantic when Iggy flew with her like that," he mused.

Again, I could feel my cheeks flush. "Well, Ella doesn't have wings," I said, mostly to myself. Fang reached down and took my hand to squeeze it gently. "So, uhh…where are we going?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"It's a surprise," he answered

Looking below us, I could make out the scenery. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know where we were. "The Grand Canyon?" I asked, wondering what could possibly be there that we haven't already seen. Fang said nothing in return and we flew for awhile in silence, following the winding pattern of the Colorado River.

Eventually, Fang released my hand and arched his wings down to the left, to start his descent. I followed and we were soon soaring in the canyon towards our destination. Soon after, I could hear the thunderous roar of a waterfall, and Fang arched his wings, again, to the left, and prepared to land. I landed behind him and fanned my wings out to cool. "There's a really pretty view over here," Fang said and reached back to take my hand. We were following along a ridge on the cliff of the canyon. As we rounded a sharp corner my breath caught in a gasp of wonder. Before us, cascading over and down the canyon's cliff, was a stunning waterfall. It looked like it fell for about 200 feet before collecting into the pool of water below.

"We heard a couple of the tourists from earlier this morning call it Mooney Falls," Fang explained, coming up behind me and maneuvering skillfully around my wings to wrap his arms around my waist.

"You came here earlier?" I spoke quietly, in awe of the sight before me.

I felt Fang nod his chin into my shoulder. "I wanted you to see it, so I left the group to come get you," he spoke against my ear, causing me to shiver.

"It's beautiful," I breathed softly.

Fang traced a hand lightly up my side to my chin and turned my face back to look up at him. I felt him lightly kiss my cheek before he captured my lips. With a muffled moan, I turned my body to face his and reached my arms up around his neck. My fingers lightly brushed over the feathers of his wings, causing a reaction that I hadn't been expecting. With a groan, Fang tightened his hold around me and deepened the kiss.


	2. Part 2

**Mooney Falls**

_A FAX fic_

_Part 2:_

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**Author Note:** Okay, so since a lot of people seemed disappointed with the ending of the first part of this fic, even though I ended it the way I did on purpose in order to leave what happens to your imagination, I went on and continued the story. I don't mind, really. It was a lot of fun. I hope that this will satisfy your need for some **FAX** action! ^_^

**Disclaimer: Maximum Ride** is the property of _James Patterson. _I do not claim any rights to these characters.

* * *

"Max? What are you doing here?" I heard my half-sister, Ella, yell. Her voice sounded far away and I secretly hoped that her voice was only part of my imagination. I was currently locked into one of the hottest kisses that Fang and I had ever shared. His large, callused hand held the back of my head, preventing my escape; not that I wanted to escape or anything. His other arm was wrapped around my waist, holding me tightly against his body. My arms were wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer.

"Get a room!" Nudge called out to us. I moaned against Fang's lips, and opened my eyes to find Fang staring back at me. At such close proximity, I was startled to see the dark pools that were his eyes, and my reflected expression.

"You were supposed to be spending time with Mom!" Ella's accusing voice reached my ears again. Reluctantly, I broke away from Fang's lips, but stayed in his arms. I let my head fall forward against his shoulder. I was a little flustered over being caught during our little make-out session and on top of that, I was feeling a little strange. Fang hugged me for a moment longer before releasing me. I then saw that Ella and the Flock were below us, by the pool that the waterfall dropped into. With a groan of regret, I leapt off of the cliff and snapped my wings out to glide down below. I knew that Fang would follow.

I landed beside Ella and pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "Did you sneak out here just to make out with Fang?" Nudge asked with a sly little smirk.

I could feel the heat in my cheeks. "No!" I quickly snapped. Both Nudge and Ella were looking at me suspiciously. Behind them, I could see Angel glancing over at me from where she, Gazzy, and Iggy were "playing" by the pool. "Mom got a house call," I stated matter-of-factly. "She left to go help deliver puppies."

"Ohhh!! Puppies!" I heard Angel squeal. From a distance she must have been reading my thoughts. She had been lonely, since Total was currently staying with Akila to help with the plans for their wedding; imagine that, dogs getting married, and for crying out loud, I was supposed to be the maid of honor! What's up with that? I wasn't going to wear a fancy dress for a dog's wedding, no matter if the dog could talk or not! _No, we're not getting a puppy!_ I thought, now making eye contact with Angel, who pouted after hearing my thoughts.

"So, you came here to make out with Fang instead of going with Mom?" I heard Ella say, pulling my attention away from Angel. My eyes went wide. Why was I being drilled about this?

"No!" I exclaimed, though my voice sounded guilty. "Mom didn't even give me the option to go with," I quickly explained. Why did I feel the need to explain myself anyway? "I stayed home and cleaned up the mess in the Kitchen. Oh, and speaking of messes…" I trailed off and glanced around at Nudge, Angel, Gazzy, and Iggy, "We need to have a little talk about picking up after yourselves!" I chided, but no one was listening to me. They were all looking at Fang.

"You should have seen her, dancing around the kitchen and all while she was cleaning," he told everyone. "She even used a fork as a microphone!" he teased me with a playful smile and a wink when our eyes met.

"Fa….FANG!" I yelled. Everyone was now laughing at me.

"Oh man, I wish I could have seen that!" Iggy managed to say when he was able to get control over his laughter, only to start laughing again at the thought.

Gazzy did a perfect imitation of my voice, singing, while spinning around and dancing, before he bent over laughing. I could hear Nudge, Angel, and Ella roaring with laughter as they watched.

"Okay…..okay….," I said, while trying to keep my cool. I glared at Fang, but it was so rare that he smiled and laughed so freely and damn did he look good! I couldn't stay mad at him.

The humor at my expense was stopped by Angel; whether she had heard my thoughts or not, I couldn't be sure.

"Gazzy! Let's show Max our new water sport!" Angel spoke up excitedly.

_New water sport?_ I thought and raised an eyebrow.

_You'll see_, Angel's answer popped into my mind. I watched as she and Gazzy took flight. They flew low over the pool of water. Gazzy was flying above Angel and he lowered himself carefully to take hold of her, under her arms. Angel folded her wings in tight against her back. I watched as her feet hit the water and she was suddenly "skiing" over the top of the water with Gazzy keeping her in motion.

"I want to try!" Ella exclaimed as she held onto one of Iggy's arms.

Iggy looked down towards her, though he couldn't actually see her, and nodded. "Let's do it!" he said.

My eyes went wide for the second time today. "What? Whoa, you can't? How could you?" I stammered, looking back and forth between them to determine whether or not they were being serious.

"Watch and learn, Max!" Iggy told me with a sly smile. My mouth nearly dropped open. What was with everyone defying me lately? I caught a glimpse of Ella's smile as she whispered something to Iggy. I was starting to wonder just how close those two were getting.

Iggy took off at a run and jumped up into the air to snap his wings open and catch flight. He then flew around so that he could fly up behind Ella. "HERE!" She yelled, and reached her arms up into the air. With uncanny accuracy, Iggy swooped down to grab her wrists; Ella also grabbed his wrists to ensure a tight hold. Iggy then flew with her over the pool of water, under Ella's instructions, until her feet touched the water and she was skiing across the pool.

Beside me, Nudge was bouncing with excitement. "Me too, me too!" she chanted. "Fang? Please?" I turned to stare at her in surprise. Why Fang? "You're the only other one!" Nudge continued to plead with him. What was I, I wondered, chopped liver?

When Iggy and Ella returned, I watch Fang and Nudge run off the same way that Angel and Gazzy had. Soon, Nudge was skiing across the water as well. Standing next to me, Iggy touched my arm. I looked over to find a complicated expression on his face, like he was listening hard for something. Instantly, I went on alert and listened as well, but the only thing that I could hear was the laughter of the flock around me as Angel and Gazzy took another turn right behind Nudge and Fang.

"Tourists," Iggy announced. I took that to mean that another tourist group was coming to see the falls.

"Up and Out!" I yelled and ran towards the water. As I took flight, with Iggy close behind carrying Ella, I watched as both Gazzy and Fang rose higher into the air, still carrying Nudge and Angel. When they were high enough, they both let go of the girls so that they could open their wings and fly on their own. I'm glad that everyone still listens to my up and out command, at least.

We flew over the Grand Canyon for awhile, stopping occasionally for some "sightseeing." Ella was thoroughly enjoying this new way of touring the area. Come mid-afternoon we decided to head back home; mainly because Nudge was hungry. I gather that we were all hungry, but Nudge was the most verbal about it.

When we got back to the house, Mom was home. "How did it go?" I asked as we all filed into the kitchen, ready for a snack.

"Successfully," my mom answered. She looked a little tired and I moved to take the pasta away from her. She was gathering ingredients for dinner.

"4 puppies survived," she said, smiling at me as I led her towards a chair to sit down.

"Don't worry about dinner, mom, we'll get it," I told her, only half listening to what she was saying.

"2 died," Angel said, startling both my mom and I; my mom, because she had tried to be discreet, in front of Angel, about the loss of two puppies, and me, because I hadn't been paying much attention to the whole conversation.

"Angel, you shouldn't read someone's mind so easily like that," I quietly reprimanded.

"The mother and 4 surviving puppies are fine," my mother said and pulled Angel into her lap for a hug. "I'll take you tomorrow to see them."

"We don't need a puppy," I reminded Angel.

"I know," she answered in a quiet voice while returning my mom's hug. Mom was spoiling everyone too much. I was starting to worry that if we stayed much longer, no one would remember how to survive on their own.

"No snacks before dinner," my mother announced firmly when she saw Gazzy reaching into the cookie jar. Well, she was spoiling everyone with attention, but she had a firm handle on how much we ate. She didn't want us filling up on junk food like we tend to always do when we are on our own. "Everyone out of the kitchen until dinner," she announced and started to stand.

"I'll help," I told her and blocked her path forward. It's not that I wanted to cook or anything, I was still just worried about my mom.

"You can help, hun," she told me with a cheerful smile. "I wanted to talk with you anyway."

_Uh-oh_….I thought. This didn't sound good.

_Its okay, Max. Just listen to what she has to say._ The voice in my head told me. No, not my voice and it wasn't Angel. It was someone else's voice. For awhile, I thought that it was Jeb, but when I confronted him about it he said that it wasn't him. I wasn't sure whether or not to believe him. It wasn't like I trusted him, after all.

Everyone, including Ella, was shooed out of the Kitchen. Tonight's dinner plans were Spaghetti and Meatballs with Garlic bread; something fairly quick and simple. Even "I" could cook Spaghetti.

"Max," my mom said, as she prepared to make the meatballs. "I know we've been through this before, but I'd honestly like you to consider staying here, with the flock." She didn't look at me while she spoke. Probably because this wasn't the first time that we were having this conversation and I held stubbornly to my reasons for why we couldn't stay.

"Mom," I cut her off with a sigh. "Staying here would only put you and Ella in danger."

"Max, it doesn't matter if you're here or not. There will always be a danger, because we are already involved. Isn't this past incident proof of that?" she countered. I had to admit that she had a point. She was watching me, now, and knew that she had struck a chord. "If you guys are here, we can better protect ourselves. You know, hold down the fort. Iggy and Gazzy could prepare some traps or something. You and Fang can fight better then the best. Angel would be safe and could act like a child her age. Nudge would be happy living the life of a "normal" preteen-ager."

"Mom," I cut her off again. "I really don't know." To be honest, I was afraid. I wasn't used to depending on others. Yet, she had a point. Maybe the only way that I could keep Mom and Ella safe, at this point, was to stay by their side. "I'll have to think about it," I told her and turned to put the garlic bread in the oven.

We didn't talk after that. Mom finished making the meatballs and started to make the Spaghetti sauce while I watched over the noodles. Once dinner was ready, everyone was called into the kitchen to eat. I suspect that Angel had been listening in and filled everyone in about the conversation I had with mom. They all acted strangely, talking about things that seemed irrelevant in order to ensure that there weren't any silent, awkward moments. After dinner, I took another stab at influencing the flock to pick up after themselves. To my surprise, everyone pitched in to help without any arguments.

That evening, everyone found their own things to do. I was floored with the lack of having to play referee or make sure that Iggy or Gazzy didn't blow something up. It seemed obvious that they were giving me time to think about my mom's offer. Fang faded into the background, Iggy listened to the I-pod, and Gazzy, Angel, Nudge, and Ella played a game of Monopoly.

No one argued when I stated that it was time for bed. Iggy, Gazzy, and Fang were sharing one of the spare rooms; Angel and Nudge shared another. I was given my own room. It was probably one of the perks that came along with having a mom. After I made my rounds, telling everyone goodnight, I decided to take a shower. I discovered that the running water helped me to think better, and the warmth flowing down my back felt so good. When the water started to get cool, I turned off the shower and shook my wings out before stepping out of the tub. I really hadn't done much productive thinking. The silence seemed so strange to me. Everyone being so cooperative was beyond strange, and the most strange was not knowing what to do with myself. I towel dried and brushed out my hair and wrapped a second towel around me. Having decided at the last minute to take a shower, I didn't have a change of clothes with me.

I walked down the hall to my room, where I shuffled through my dresser for a pair and underwear and a comfortable t-shirt to wear to bed. After pulling on my underwear, I dropped my towel and turned to walk to my bed while pulling the t-shirt over my head. I plopped down on the bed, on my side, and stared out across the room. I supposed that my mother might be right about one thing, if we stayed in one spot we would have more time to prepare our defenses. Did it really not matter whether or not we were here? Were Mom and Ella really in danger with or without us?

_It is easier to protect you if we know where you are_, the voice inside of my head chimed in and said.

_Yeah, yeah…_ I replied to it.

Then a sudden movement caught my eye. I bolted up into a sitting position and stared to my left in disbelief. Fang was sitting in the chair that was beside my dresser, watching me. I didn't want to imagine how long he had been there. The realization that he had watched me change without making his presence known made my face hot. Reaching for one of my pillows, I hurled it across the room at him. "Fa……" I started to yell his name, but before I knew it, he was kissing me. Fang had completely evaded the pillow.

I stared into Fangs dark eyes with mine opened wide in shock. I moaned with protest against his lips and pushed against his chest. What did he think he was doing?

"Shhhh," he told me, after pulling away. "You'll wake up the whole house."

I really couldn't believe his nerve. "Y….y….you watched me change!" I managed to speak. "Using your ability to blend into the background for the purpose of spying on girls is strictly forbidden!" I said, glaring at him. My heart was racing and I felt like it would explode at any minute.

Fang was standing, bent over me, with his hands resting on the bed to either side of me. He was smirking and seemed to be enjoying my nervousness. "Who said?" he asked smugly.

"I DID!" I yelled and he kissed me again, pushing me back against the bed as he knelt over me. What did he think he was doing? I pushed up at his chest, but he didn't budge. When did he get so strong? When did I get so weak? My head was spinning.

"Do you want someone to come in here?" he asked after pulling away from the kiss. "I didn't intend to watch you," he then tried to explain. "It just ended up happening that way."

Oh, yeah…some excuse, I thought. "You expect me to believe that?" I raised an eyebrow and looked up at him skeptically.

"Yeah," he answered and bent to kiss me again. It was a quick kiss, and his lips were soft against mine. My head was starting to spin again and I wanted to give up. So he had seen me naked, it wasn't the first, we had grown up together, after all.

"Why?" I somehow managed to ask. Did I really have to be the dominate one? Fang was the only one who ever saw my weakness. Surely, with him, I didn't need to be the leader. With him I could just be Max, right?

"You startled me," Fang answered after a long moment of careful consideration.

That's a statement that I wasn't expecting. I blinked and stared up at him. "I Startled YOU?" I asked. "Shouldn't it be the other way around?" Something didn't seem right. Was that a blush that I just saw? Fang moved off of me and sat at the edge of my bed. I sat up in the bed, behind him, and stared at his back curiously. Fang was the one who was acting nervous now.

"I wasn't expecting you to come walking in with only a towel wrapped around you," he admitted, but wouldn't look at me. My eyes lit up with surprise. It was a relief that I wasn't the only one with feelings that I couldn't explain. "When you dropped your towel in front of me, I couldn't speak…." he trailed off at the end of his sentence, sounding like there was more that he wanted to say. Of course, this whole conversation was totally unlike him. Sure, Fang and I usually had longer conversations then he had with the others, but that normally pertained to strategy and stuff, not emotions. "You were so pretty…..no, beautiful, that I couldn't take my eyes off of you," he finally admitted.

Now I was blushing again, and Fang still hadn't looked at me. For once, I didn't know what to do. I almost wished that the voice would chime in with some useless advice, which brought me to the thought of wondering if the voice knew everything that I ever did. Was it witnessing this embarrassing moment too?

Pushing the thought to the back of my mind, I scooted forward on the bed until I was able to wrap my arms around Fang's waist. I rested my head against his back, between his wings. It was very comforting and I couldn't help but to think I could fall asleep just like that.

Without a word, Fang stood and turned towards me. He reached out to touch my face ever so gently with those big calloused hands of his. The next moment became a blur and my mind went fuzzy. We were lying on my bed kissing with a heated passion that made my heart pound in my ears. His hands roamed over my body with a feather like touch that seemed to awaken every nerve ending in my body. I was suddenly made to remember that I only wore a t-shirt, that barely went past my waist, when his touch came to my inner thigh. He covered my gasp with another kiss and then gathered me into his arms. My ear was pressed against his chest, over his heart, which was pounding as hard and as fast as mine was. I became aware of his breath as it blew over my hair. We both lay there, silent and unmoving; both amazed and a little scared about the feelings that had risen within and between us.

Laying here, cuddled against Fang, I felt like we were the only two people who existed in this world. It was such a surreal feeling and I could barely suppress a yawn. "Sleep," I heard Fang whisper and felt as he kissed my hair.

"I Looovve you, sooo much," I said sleepily, and nuzzled against his chest with a dreamy sigh. "Don't leave me." I wanted to sleep through the night wrapped in his arms.

Before I drifted fully off to sleep I thought I heard him say, "I know… I love you, too. I'm not going anywhere."


	3. Part 3

**Mooney Falls**

_A FAX fic_

_Part 3:_

* * *

**Author's Note:** This chapter turned out to be longer then I expected, so I decided to split it into two parts. I've started to write Part 4. I should have it up soon.

More Fax Fluff!! I hope that you all enjoy it!

**Disclaimer:** **Maximum Ride** is property of _James Patterson._ I do not claim any rights to these characters or the original storyline!

* * *

"Have you seen Fang?" Gazzy asked Angel. It was morning and Dr. Martinez was almost finished making breakfast.

"No," Angel shook her head and said. She had been coming out of the room that she shared with Nudge when Gazzy ran into her on his way down the hall. "Is Max up? She usually is at this time? Maybe they went out for a morning flight?" Angel suggested, referring to Fang and Max.

Gazzy shrugged his shoulders. "I haven't seen Max yet, this morning, either."

"Well, let's see if she's in her room, then," Angel suggested and walked around her brother, towards Max's room. She quietly opened the door and they both peered into the room. Max was still sleeping soundly in her bed. Angel heard the mischievous giggle in Gazzy's mind and knew that he was up to no good. _Let her sleep_, Angel spoke in his mind and wrapped her arms around one of his, just in time to stop him from running into the room and jumping on the bed.

Gazzy gave her a look of disappointment. _Why?_ He thought.

_Because if she's still asleep when Dr. Martinez leaves to check on the puppies, then I can go with!_ Angel replied in his mind and looked up at him with large innocent eyes.

Gazzy smirked and made a hmph sound. _You're worse with your tactics then I am with mine,_ he thought. Angel's innocent smile became wider and she barely suppressed a giggle.

_Well, let's see if we can find Fang, _Gazzy thought and pulled Max's bedroom door shut, being careful to make sure the handle didn't click.

_Don't worry about Fang_, Angel replied to him and they walked back down the hall towards the Kitchen.

* * *

Fang let out the breath of air that he had been holding, relieved that Angel and Gazzy hadn't seen him. He was grateful for his ability to "disappear" into the background when he stayed completely still, but he wondered if Angel picked up on his thoughts, despite his attempt at not thinking. He stared down at Max's sleeping form. She was lying on her side with her back to the door, facing him, and was snuggled against his chest. She looked so peaceful that he couldn't bear to wake her.

* * *

It was so warm. A rhythmic beat lured me slowly into consciousness, but remnants of my dream pulled me back. I lay there, drifting in and out of sleep. My dream was so vivid that I could swear it was real. I was sleeping in Fangs arms, safe and secure. From time to time his fingers would brush through my hair and I would feel a light kiss on my forehead, or on my cheek. One of his wings covered over us, like a blanket. With my ear against his chest, I could hear the steady beat of his heart. This was the best dream that I had ever had. I didn't want to wake up. I wanted the dream to continue. I felt another kiss on my forehead and a light, gentle touch against my cheek. I moaned softly and nuzzled closer against his chest.

It was a "hmphing" sound that woke me, and I became aware that I wasn't alone in my bed. I rolled back and dropped off of the bed with alarm. After leaping to my feet, I spun around to face the bed. Whoever was there, it hadn't been Angel or Nudge. The person in my bed was larger than I was, not smaller.

Fang lay on his side, propped up on his elbow, watching me with an eyebrow raised. My mind slowly processed that what I had thought to be a dream was, in fact, reality. My eyes went wide and I pulled, subconsciously, at the bottom of my t-shirt. "Fa…Fa…Fang…" I stuttered in a small voice. I could feel the heat in my cheeks and hear my heart pounding in my ears. "It wasn't a dream?" I asked, more to myself.

"Humm??" Fang asked, as he sat up. "What wasn't a dream?"

I stood there, frozen. Fang wasn't wearing a shirt. Sure, it wasn't the first time that I had seen him with his shirt off, but we had just been sleeping together. Um…err… In the same bed. We were asleep together in the same bed. Could my face get any more red? My cheeks felt as if they were on fire. Fang was now sitting at the edge of my bed, stretching out the wing that had been covering us. My knees suddenly felt weak when he looked up at me. "Were you dreaming of me?" he teased, with a sly smile, after folding his wing back.

Now really wasn't the time to be teasing me. I was in an unfamiliar situation and didn't know how to react. Instead of answering him, I walked to my dresser for a pair of jeans. I sat down in the chair to pull the pants on and remembered how Fang had been sitting in this same chair last night. He had "accidently" seen me naked. I closed my eyes with a groan and, with my elbows resting on my knees, buried my face into my hands in the attempt to hide my embarrassment.

I didn't even hear Fang move across the room. I jolted when he took my wrists and gently pulled me to my feet, which forced me to look at him. "We didn't do anything wrong," he told me and bent to brush his lips against mine. I then let my head fall against his shoulder and leaned against his body; he had since put his shirt back on. After taking a deep breath to calm my nerves I remembered something important. With a gasp, I looked around Fang's shoulders at the clock on my nightstand; it was 11:15.

"Oh no! It's so late!" I exclaimed and rushed around Fang, towards the door. "Why didn't you wake me sooner?" I asked, right before rushing out the door. What would the rest of the flock think? It wasn't like me to sleep in this late. Had everyone had breakfast? Were Gazzy or Iggy destroying anything? Where were Angel and Nudge? As the leader, the flock was my responsibility. I hoped they weren't causing too much trouble for Mom or Ella. Everything was quiet as I rushed through the house. Quiet wasn't good. Usually the only time it was quiet was just before a bomb went off.

I reached the living-room to find that it was empty. Continuing on into the Kitchen, I was floored to find that it was empty and spotless. "Mom?" I yelled. "Ella? Angel, Gazzy? Nudge, Iggy? Where are you?" I walked towards the door and peered out, expecting to see everyone outside, but there wasn't anyone there. Where was everyone? I spun back around only to bump into Fang. I didn't even realize that he had come up behind me, and I actually bounced off of him. He grabbed my arm to keep me from falling.

"No one's here," Fang told me.

"Huh?" I stared at him in surprise. "What do you mean no one's here? Where did everyone go?"

Fang shrugged and released my arm to turn and walk to the fridge. "I don't know, I heard them all leave a couple of hours ago," he explained and began to rummage for something to eat.

I stared after him in astonishment. Had I heard him right? "Why didn't they wake me up?" I asked defensively. I was really upset that no one had bothered to tell me where they were going. They didn't even leave a note. What if there was another attack? I could feel myself starting to panic. Fang was too busy thinking about his stomach to notice.

"Angel and Gazzy came to check on you this morning, but since you were sleeping so soundly, they decided not to wake you up," Fang said and pulled out a gallon of milk to set on the counter before retrieving the cereal from the cupboard.

"WHAT!?" I shouted in a panic and felt the heat return to my cheeks. "U…You mean they saw us in bed together?" I asked in a rush, now in a full blown panic attack.

Fang finally stopped what he was doing to stare at me with a blank expression. "They didn't see me," he stated.

"Oh…" I said, but was distracted from saying anything else when I heard a car pulling into the driveway. I rushed back to the door and peered out to see Mom's car come to a stop beside the walkway. I rushed out of the door to meet them. "Where were you?" I asked as I made my way towards the car. "Couldn't you have woken me up or at least left a note? I was worried sick!" I complained.

"It's okay, Max," my mother said in a soothing voice as she got out of the car. "They were with me," she continued to say, but I wasn't paying attention to her. I was staring at what Angel was holding in the back seat of the car.

"Angel, I said that we can't have a puppy!" I said sternly. Angel sat motionless in the back seat holding a mound of fluffy white and tan spotted fur. She glanced at my mother through the car window with those wide, pleading eyes of hers. I realized that the puppies mom helped deliver yesterday were too young to be separated from their mother already. I looked at my mother for an explanation.

"The puppy was left at the animal hospital this morning to find it a home," mom answered my questioning look.

"Well, you'll have to take it back," I told her firmly. "I already told Angel that we can't have a puppy."

"No!" Angel cried in a tiny voice and hugged the animal closer to her. "Why not? How is it any different from having Total?" she persist.

"For starters, that puppy looks like it will grow into a dog much bigger then Total," I said, with a sigh. Already, the ball of fluff looked bigger then Total. "Total has wings of his own, now. This dog obviously isn't genetically enhanced. We don't have the time to train it. Plus, what do you think will happen if we are attacked? The puppy would most likely be killed," I stated matter-of-factly.

I heard my mother take in a sharp breath. "Max!" she said my name out of shock.

"What?" I looked at her to ask sharply. "It's the truth! We can't be responsible for a puppy!" I dared her to argue my points.

"Max, please," Nudge was now pleading with me. She and Angel were still in the back seat of the car. Nudge had an arm wrapped around Angel's shoulders. Angel was crying.

The familiar sound of someone coming in for a landing brought my attention to Gazzy and Iggy as they landed on the other side of the car. They had just arrived from wherever they had flown. Gazzy immediately noticed his sister crying and opened the car door to check on her. "What's going on?" Iggy asked.

"Angel brought home a puppy, after I told her that we couldn't have one," I explained.

"I brought the puppy home, Max. I plan to keep the dog here, so you won't have to worry about it," my mother tried to explain.

I looked around at the flock. Angel was still crying. Nudge was looking at me with accusing eyes while she comforted Angel, and Gazzy was trying hopelessly to console his sister. "See, Max. There shouldn't be a problem," Iggy said. It looked like we were all separated into sides. At that moment, Mom had everyone on her side, by the car. Even Fang had come out and was by the car. I watched as Nudge got out of the back seat so that Fang could sit down and gently pull Angel, with the puppy, into his arms. Angel cried into his chest. I felt a sudden prang of guilt.

"Why are you turning the flock against me?" I turned to snap at my mother, who stared at me with a wide eyed expression of shock and confusion. "Why are you getting their hopes up? I haven't even decided if we'll even be staying here! What gives you the right to do this?"

There was a moment of silence before she replied. "I'm an Adult, Max, AND I'm your mother."

"Some Mother! You donated me to science. Isn't that like signing off your parental rights? What makes you think that after 15 years, you have any right to control my life?" I yelled, without thinking. When I saw the pained expression on her face, I immediately regretted what I had said. I covered a hand over my mouth and stared around at the flock. They all stared back at me. Spinning around on my heels, I ran and leapt into the air to snap my wings open and take flight. What was wrong with me?


	4. Part 4

**Mooney Falls**

_A FAX fic_

_Part 4:_

* * *

**Author's Note:** Okey Dokey, I'm leaving this off at a cliffhanger for awhile. Just until I can get a few oneshots and a contest entry written.

Wow, for something that I originally planned to only be a one-shot, this is turning into quite a project.

Anyone who has been reading my fics for awhile should know by now that I HATE being predictable! Well, someone commented to Part 3, "predicting" what would happen in Part 4. So that set me off to changing the storyline. I realized that it was too cliche if someone was predicting what would happen next. Sooo...that's the reason for the cliffhanger.

**Disclaimer:** **Maximum Ride** is property of _James Patterson._ I do not claim any rights to these characters or the original storyline!

* * *

I couldn't believe my actions. I felt so ashamed of myself. Not only did I make Angel cry, but I also said some really horrible things to my mom. My conduct was totally uncalled for. I was now flying through the sky at warp speed, which made it impossible to cry. I didn't know where I was going. I didn't care so long as I could leave Angel's tears and Mom's pained expression behind. I was even considering kicking my own butt. Why did I say such hurtful things? I didn't mean it! I was just so….frustrated.

_Calm down, Max,_ the Voice said in my head.

_Oh, great! What do you want? Look, I don't need a lecture, alright, so just leave me alone._

* * *

Fang carried Angel into the house, after convincing her to let Nudge take the puppy. She wasn't crying anymore, but she still clung to his shirt. Fang walked to the couch with the intention of setting her down, but when she refused to release her hold, he sat down with her in his lap and let out a heavy sigh. It would be up to him to pick up the pieces, left after Max's outburst. Everyone filed into the living room after them. Nudge sat down on the floor and set the puppy down in front of her. You could now tell that it was some sort of a mixed breed. Maybe a mix between a beagle and an American Eskimo Mini, but who could really say for sure.

"I…don't understand," Angel said in a small voice. "Why did Max get so mad?"

"Max is just worried," Fang responded. He held and comforted Angel, but his gaze was fixed on the front door. He knew that Max's pride would prevent her from returning on her own, which meant that he was going to have to go out and find her.

"We're all worried," Gazzy spoke up. "There's no telling when there will be another attack."

"She's worried that she'll lose us," Angel said, after hearing Fang's thoughts. "She fears losing her influence." Fang blinked out of his daze and looked down at Angel after hearing his own thoughts being spoken out loud.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Nudge asked out of genuine confusion.

"Everyone has been questioning her a lot, lately," Fang explained. "It's not easy, being the leader of this group. I learned that first hand. But she's not only the leader, to Nudge and Gazzy, and especially to Angel, she has been like a mother."

"She's only 14!" Dr. Martinez spoke up. "She's too young to take on such responsibility. She's still just a child herself!" she argued.

Fang met Dr. Martinez's gaze from across the room. "She has been doing this for over 4 years. I'm sure it's not easy for her to accept someone else taking over what she considers being her responsibilities," he spoke in Max's defense.

"I only want to protect her! To protect all of you," Dr. Martinez pleaded in reply.

"That's all that Max wants, too," Angel answered in the place of Fang. She was beginning to understand the situation better, after being allowed to go through some of Fang's thoughts. "Max wants to protect everyone too. After all, she's always being told that she has to save the world." Suddenly Angel seemed to be 10 times her age. Dr. Martinez looked a little taken back, but lowered her head in understanding.

Angel reached up to touch Fang's cheek in order to draw his attention back to her. "Go find Max, and bring her back," she told him. Fang nodded and she slipped out of his lap.

Fang stood and glanced around at everyone in the room. "There's no telling where she went, and at her speed, who knows when I'll find her," he explained.

"Here," Dr. Martinez started to say. She stood up from the chair that she was sitting in and disappeared into the kitchen for a moment. When she returned, she was carrying her cell phone. "Take this. Call when you find her, just to keep us from worrying too much," she explained and handed the phone to Fang. "If she returns here, first, I can call to let you know."

Fang nodded in understanding. It was a good plan. "Thanks," he said and didn't waste any more time to go after Max. He was practically already in the air when he rushed out the door.

* * *

Somehow, unconsciously, I ended up back at Mooney Falls. After waiting for a few tourists to leave, I flew up to the top of the cliff and sat there, with my feet dangling over the edge. I was only a few feet away from the waterfall; its thunderous roar filled my ears and drowned out my thoughts. Though I felt horrible, I found that I couldn't cry.

_It's partly her fault_, I thought to myself. _Who does she think she is?_ I was starting to get angry again.

_If, by her, you are referring to your mother, she is just worried about you and only wants to help,_ the voice told me.

_Yeah, well, I didn't ask for her help,_ I replied bitterly and pulled my knees up to hug against my chest.

_That's the thing about parents, Max. They honestly WANT to help. No parent likes to see their child go through hardships on their own._

That comment made me smirk with a humph. _Who are you kidding? _I thought. _My parents donated me to science._

_They didn't know, at the time, that any of this would happen, and your mother never expected to see what would become of the egg that she donated, _the voice tried to reason with me.

_Oh, sure, so that should make it all better!? _I spat and clinched my fists.

_They are trying to help you, now._

I thought about how much Jeb, my supposed father, actually has helped us, in the past. That didn't mean that I trusted him, or anything. I still felt too betrayed by him. About my mother, well, I never asked her to take over control of the flock. The flock was becoming too dependent on her. I finally came to the decision that it was time for us, the flock, to move on.

_Dr. Martinez isn't trying to take control over the flock, Max,_ the voice said with a sigh.

_Oh come off it already,_ I snapped._ Everyone loves her and…and…_ I trailed off of that thought. I didn't know what I was trying to say. My anger was starting to subside and I was starting to feel really bad for the things that I had said, again.

_Of course they love her, Max. They all want a mother like what you have._

_What am I, chopped liver?_ I thought, as tears started to weld up in my eyes.

_You are still a child, Max_, the voice tried to reason with me again. _You are only 14_, it corrected, when I humphed over being called a child. _You shouldn't have all of this responsibility resting on your shoulders, alone._

That was ironic, don't you think? This was coming from the person….or thing….that kept telling me that I had to save the world. As if that's not a huge enough responsibility that's been rested on my shoulders already.

I was so distracted by my conversation with the voice in my head that I didn't hear anyone coming up behind me. Not that I would hear it, anyway, with the sound of the waterfall. I jolted when I felt a pair of arms wrap around my shoulders from behind. I tilted my head back to find myself looking up at Fang, and I lost it. I lost all composure and scrambled away from the edge of the cliff, into his expecting arms; the tears that had weld up began to spill, as if from a faucet.

Fang hugged me tightly, and I felt him adjust our weight so that he could sit down behind me. He let me cry until I couldn't cry anymore, and then we sat in silence, holding one another. We lost track of both time and space and didn't even notice the dark rainclouds that suddenly filled the sky. Maybe it wasn't so sudden, but when I had first gotten there, the sky was clear and the sun shone brightly. I gasped when the shower of cold rain dropped down on us, seemingly out of nowhere. Instinctively, Fang unfolded his wings above us, like a canopy, as we were jostled back into reality.

As thunder rumbled the ground beneath us, Fang leapt to his feet and pulled me up with him. "Over there," he spoke loudly against my ear, to be heard over the sound of the waterfall and thunder, and pointed towards a visible cave on the hikers trail. We both leapt off of the cliff, into the air, and flew towards the only shelter available, to get out of the storm. We landed, just inside the cave's entrance, to discover that we weren't alone. I felt Fang step up beside me and wrap an arm around my waist to pull me in, against his side, and we stared at the other person who had also chosen this cave to be their shelter from the storm.


End file.
